


Spencer's Day

by Luthorchickv2



Series: Modern Family [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Adding a Holiday, Established Relationship, M/M, Other Parent Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-22
Updated: 2011-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-26 10:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthorchickv2/pseuds/Luthorchickv2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Jack gets to give a card to Haley on Mother's Day, and Aaron on Father's Day, when does he get to give Spencer a card? Or congratulations, Spencer, it's a boy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spencer's Day

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. The Ubiquitous Other Parent day fic. Jack is six in this. Fits into my Components universe and happens the year before Components of A Modern Family.
> 
> 2\. Thanks to S for being an awesome Beta. And he is a bunny.

“Mommy, can I ask you a question?” Jack Hotchner asked hesitantly, interrupting his own description of Bradley’s new backpack, which was oh so cool.

“Of course, anything.”

Haley Hotchner had been sitting at her kitchen table listening to her six year old son Jack talk about his day at school. She cooked dinner and was now keeping an eye on her son who was trying to hide his peas under his leftover meatloaf.

“We were learning about holidays today. Mrs. Bradshaw explained about Mother’s Day because this it is week and that Father’s Day is after it. And I was wondering…” He paused and looked up at her. “If I get to give you a card on Mother’s Day and Dad a card on Father’s Day, when do I get to give Spencer a card?”

Haley was bemused; it was a good question. She and Spencer got along very well and she thought he was a great co-parent. Spencer adored Jack, and Jack, disproving the ‘Reid Effect’, adored Spencer right back. It wasn’t really a surprise, given that Spencer had been around in his capacity as Aaron’s lover since Jack was a baby, but this was the first time that Jack had expressed, to her at least, that he viewed Spencer on the same level and her and Aaron.

“I don’t know, baby.” She finally said.

He started to frown. “Why I don’t I talk to your Dad and we’ll see if we can work something out?” She smiled at him, hoping to avoid a tantrum for the moment. An idea began to form in the back her mind and she wanted to talk to Aaron before mentioning to Jack.

He grinned at her and went back to his food.

“And eat your peas. They’re good for you.” Haley pointed her fork at the mound he had shoved under his meatloaf.  
***

Haley waited for Aaron to pick up his office line. It was the middle of the day and he was not away on a case therefore he should be in his office.

Aaron answered the phone with impersonal “Agent Hotchner.” Haley smiled at his brisk tone and spoke.

“Hey, Aaron, It’s Haley. Do you have a minute?”

“Hello Haley. Yes, I have a minute. What’s going on?” He sounded slightly distracted.

“Our son wanted to know why Spencer doesn’t have a day.” She played with the phone cord and waited for his response.

“What?”

“Jack asked me last night, if I get a card on Mother’s Day, and you get a card on Father’s Day, then when does Spencer get his card?” She unkinked the phone cord.

“Really? I know Jack cares about Spencer but it’s amazing that it is that much.”

“I thought that maybe we could come up with something. A Spencer’s Day. Maybe between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. You could celebrate it on one of the Sundays.” She looked at the calendar on her desk.

“You sound surprisingly okay with this.” He sounded neural.

“Aaron, we’ve talked about this. I like Spencer. We have coffee together every couple of weeks. He is good for you and good for Jack. He loves you both to distraction. He wants what is best for Jack. I am not threatened by his role in either yours or Jack’s life. I couldn’t ask for a better co-parent.” She circled a weekend in red pen. “How about the first weekend in June?”

“I think that weekend would work fine. Haley, I need you to know how much I appreciate that you accept Spencer and me, and that you are accepting of his place in Jack’s life. I can’t help but think how lucky I am.”

“Aaron, just because we couldn’t be happy together doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be happy. I have to go. If you want to bounce Spencer’s Day ideas off me, give me a call."

“Thank you, Haley. I’ll see you this weekend.”

“You bet! I expect awesome flowers for Mother’s Day.” she teased before hanging up and leaning back into her chair.

She wasn’t lying; she really did like Spencer and the wariness in his eyes every time they met bothered her. One would think after all this time that he would be sure of his place in their lives. Maybe this is what he needed to feel like he was truly part of the family. Actually, what he needed was a ring on his finger, but that that was all up to Aaron. Spencer’s Day was the least she could do.  
***  
:The first sunday in June:

Aaron woke up early and carefully extracted himself from Spencer’s arms. After two weeks of planning, calls to Jack and Haley and trying to hide what was going on from his lover, it was finally Spencer’s Day.

He glanced down at Spencer who was curled into himself the way he tended to do when he couldn’t wrap himself around Aaron, his long hair half covering his face. How grateful he was that that Spencer was with him and not just as a lover but also as someone who was willing to engage in his son’s life.

He gently stood and pulled on a tee-shirt and sweats to go make breakfast. A snuffling sound from Spencer made him pause and glance back at the sleeping man. He lingered at the door watching Spencer before hearing Jack tiptoeing down the hallway. Excited as he was for today, Jack had been impossible to get to sleep last night, and if Aaron didn’t stop him he would be in here waking Spencer up before schedule. With one last glance at the young man curled in the warm spot Aaron had left behind, he slipped out of the room to start breakfast with Jack.

**  
Spencer could smell coffee. He rolled over and pulled the covers over his head. He wasn’t ready to wake up yet but he could hear whispers coming from the other side of the room. Whispers meant plotting, and plotting meant that it was in his best interest to get up before he ended up in some kind of trouble. He rolled over again to grab his glasses off the night table. The room swam into focus and he gingerly sat up. Jack, with Aaron helping, was standing by the bed, holding a large tray that Spencer could see had plates, a vase, some envelopes, and most importantly a large mug of coffee on it.

Spencer rubbed his eyes under his glasses and cleared his throat before speaking,

“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Aaron exchanged a look with Jack. Jack relinquished his side of the tray and dived into the bed.

“Happy Spencer’s Day!” Jack shouted and curled into Spencer’s chest.

“What?” His mind was a little foggy but Spencer was pretty sure it wasn’t his birthday.

“Happy Spencer’s Day!” Aaron and Jack repeated together, as Aaron brought the tray closer.

Upon closer examination the tray was found to be holding two plates of banana chocolate chip pancakes, overflowing with chocolate chips just the way Spencer liked them. Aaron insisted one day Spencer would either blow up like a balloon or get diabetes or both but that didn’t stop him from making them for Spencer on special occasions. Spencer wracked his brain trying to figure out what it could be. It wasn’t their anniversary actually, any of them. He looked at the other items on the tray. There was the mug, which he grabbed, a sheet of construction paper face down as well as two envelopes. The vase held a cheerful sunflower. He finally decided to ask.

“Spencer’s Day?” Jack grinned and detangled himself from Spencer’s arms to reach for the sheet of paper on the tray.

“Jack decided that it wasn’t fair that Haley got a card on Mother’s Day, and that I got a card on Father’s Day, and that you got nothing. So we came up with Spencer’s Day.” Aaron explained, as took the other envelopes from the tray.

“But those are parent days, I’m…” Spencer started before Aaron shoved a piece of pancake in his mouth.

“One of Jack’s parents too. He’s been looking forward to this for weeks now. Want to give Spencer his card now, Buddy?” Aaron turned to Jack.

“Here, Spencer. I made it. Mommy helped a little.” Jack shoved the paper at Spencer who swallowed and turned it right side up.

It was light blue, with carefully traced words across the top and stick figures on the bottom.

‘Happy Spencer’s Day! Thank you for being there for me! I love you, Love Jack!’

The stick figures were arranged under the letters. On the left side was a dark figure, tall with straight black hair. One the right side was a really tall figure with long brown hair and in between them was a small figure of a child. All three figures were holding hands and smiling great big smiles.

“Mommy helped me draw it, see it’s the three of us here at Daddy’s house. I wroted the words myself.”

Spencer’s eyes were hot and it felt like he had swallowed a marble. He placed the card down and wrapped his arms around Jack.

“Thank you, Jack. I love your card.” He pressed a kiss to Jack’s head and felt Aaron’s lips on his head.

After a few seconds, Jack started squirming. “There’s more. Tell him, Dad!” Jack leaned over to eat pancakes while Aaron sat down next to Spencer and wrapped an arm around him.

“We thought it would be nice to take a trip to the Air and Space Museum. There was that new exhibit you wanted to see and I called a friend, who called a friend, and got us a behind the scenes tour. Are you up for it?” Spencer nodded, still a little choked up.

“These are from Haley and I.” Aaron handed Spencer two envelopes. The first one was in a light green envelope and when opened it revealed a plain black and white photo of Jack that had been turned into a card, along with a gift card to his local coffee spot. In Haley’s precise but elegant script, it read;

“Dear Spencer,  
Happy Spencer’s Day! I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your help raising Jack. I love that he has you to look up to and turn to. I could not have asked for a better co-parent. You are very much a part of this family.  
Love and Affection,  
Haley.”

His chest felt tight, and he wasn’t sure he could breathe. If was if there was a wide metal band constricting his torso. He and Haley got on, yes, but it seemed so unreal that she would see him, Spencer Reid as a co-parent.

“There is one more card. Are you okay to read it?” Aaron held the Navy blue envelop out to him.

Spencer nodded, a little shaky. The card was plain blue with a picture of a sleeping baby on it. Inside it read quite simply in Aaron’s print.

“Thank you for loving and caring for our son.  
Love,  
Aaron.”

Spencer could feel tears start trailing down his cheek. He had a family. He had a son. How had that happened?

“Aaron, I don’t know how to do this, how to be a parent.” He forced out.

Aaron cradled his cheek. “You are already doing it. You’ve been apart of the family for a while. You pick Jack up from school; watch him when I need to go out. Plan outings. You do all this parenting stuff already. That you love and care about Jack is the start, everything else works out.”

“Dad? Why is Spencer crying?” Spencer looked up to see Jack standing by the bed, now dressed in his favorite Marvel tee shirt.

“Hey Jack. I’m just really, really happy right now. Sometimes a person can be so happy that all they can do is cry.” He held his hand out for Jack to take and pulled him on to the bed. He would try explaining again later but right now he wanted to curl up with his family.


End file.
